Muktaraj Pandit, 37, of Krishnapur was injured after being attacked by a rhino on Tuesday while he tried to save children who were being chased by a rhino. Before him, Ravilal Ghimire of Mangalpur-6 was seriously injured after being attacked by a rhino Monday. And on Sunday, Tikamaya Raut of Phulbari-5 and Liladhar Poudel of Bharatpur-8 were injured in similar attacks. [break]
The four are receiving treatment at Bharatpur Medical College.
The attack left Pandit with fractured ribs and femur. He will not be able to walk for at least six months, doctors have said. Meanwhile, Ghimire was left with a fractured arm and leg.
Locals in western Chitwan are living under constant fear owing to repeated attacks by rhinos in the past three days.
Locals have not been successful in chasing the rhinos back to the jungle area. They are angry with Chitwan National Park (CNP) officials and local bodies for not initiating an effective effort for the same.
Janak Ghimire, a local, said rhinos have damaged crops of over 18 households at Indrapuri and Phulbari villages. On top of this, people´s life is in danger, locals complain.
Ten CNP staffers riding on five elephants haven´t been able to chase away the rhinos. On Sunday, they chased one rhino to the jungle. But the rhino returned to human settlement.
Ram Chandra Shrestha, an official at CNP, said settlers, who tease the rhinos, are also to be blamed for turning the rhinos aggressive.
However, CNP chief Narendraman Babu Pradhan said rhinos usually come to human settlements in winter as there isn´t sufficient food in the forest. He added that settlers remain vulnerable as there is security presence only along the forest perimeter, and not in the human settlements.
Wild animals in CNP kill 15 to 20 people every year.
Related story
Internal translocation of rhinos taking place in Chitwan
